Patterson's defense secures win for Bucks

Patterson forced a pair of turnovers by Korver in the final
minute as the Bucks rallied for a 98-94 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of slumping teams.

Michael Redd scored 32 points for Milwaukee, which had lost
seven of its last eight games but took advantage of a
Philadelphia squad that was missing stars Allen Iverson and
Chris Webber.

"It was a game we desperately needed, coming off two tough
losses against Indiana," Milwaukee coach Terry Stotts said. "I
just felt like the guys did what they needed to do."

"It feels good to get the win," Patterson said. "We got tired
of losing. It was a total team effort."

The Bucks took their first lead at 95-93 on two free throws by
Redd with 1:14 to play. On the next possession, Korver - one of
the best shooters in the NBA - lost the ball out of bounds as he
tried to dribble past Patterson, a determined defender.

"Ruben Patterson made big plays for us," Stotts said.

Leading the league in free-throw shooting, Korver had a chance
to tie the game with 39 seconds remaining but split two foul
shots. Charlie Bell did the same at the other end, leaving
Milwaukee with a 96-94 edge.

"I missed a couple of free throws down the stretch," Korver
said. "We just need to make the ones we get."

Andre Iguodala, who had his second career triple-double, missed
a difficult driving layup before Redd split a pair from the line
with 5.9 seconds to go, giving the Sixers one more chance.

Philadelphia went to Korver, but Patterson tied him up, wrestled
the ball away and drew a foul. His free throw sealed the win.

"He just had the ball really low," Patterson said. "I just
reached down there and got the steal."

"We didn't want Kyle Korver to get a good look at a three,"
Stotts said.